Release Type: Single / Review Written by: Colm Larkin
Date Posted: 02.04.2008 - 08:38
Publishing Label: XL Recordings
Buy From: 
While M.I.A.’s second album Kala is not as good as it should have been, she remains one of best things to happen to 21st century music thanks to this song.
The penultimate track on the album, Paper Planes is a downtempo masterpiece that’s like a torch song for the world’s disaffected and poor with its chorus line of kids chanting, guns firing and registers opening. Her genius lies in making essentially meaningless lyrics about visas and borders seem like grand proclamations. But this doesn’t make the song shallow. When the music is this profound she doesn’t need to make sense.
Visit ClashMusic.com for all the latest news on and M.I.A., read the latest and insightful reviews on and M.I.A., view images of and M.I.A. in the ClashMusic.com galleries, chat about and interact with other fans of and M.I.A. in the Clashmusic.com Forums, read all about and M.I.A. on their personalised home page, buy tickets for and M.I.A. gigs from the ClashMusic.com Gigs & Tickets area, read in depth features on and M.I.A., find out about and M.I.A. new releases in the ClashMusic.com Release Dates area. Visit ClashMusic.com to listen to exclusive audio previews from and M.I.A. and view and M.I.A. promo and live video.
Buy Clash magazine to read interviews with and M.I.A.. Subscribe to Clash magazine to discover the new and M.I.A. first.
Readers Comments:
Be the first to comment on this article.